Banjo or the like musical instrument



Aug. 14, 1928.

W. H. DE WICK BANJO OR THE LIKE IUSICAL INSTRUMENT Original Filed Sept. 19. 1922 INVENTOR.

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Patented Aug. 14, 1928.

-UNI'TED ;-STATE P E 1,681,148 OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. DE WICK, OF BROOKLYN, NEW-YORK.

BANJ-o 0R 'riiE LIKE MUSICAL TNSTRUMENT.

original application ed September 19, 1922, Serial No. 589,058 Divided and this applic ationiiled March 28, 1925 The invention relates to stringed musical instruments in which the strings are stopped by the fingers of one hand and picked, or caused to vibrate by the other hand of the performer and may be applied to banjos, banjorines and similar instruments.

The objects of the invention are to produce an instrument of the character described in' which the head, if of parchment or the like, may be properly stretched, and its effective vibrating surface be capable of adjustment as to area; in which vibrations from the back of'the head or deck, as the case ma be, will be directed forward without per crating the head or deck; in which there will be no'parts except the usual neck projecting radially outside the hoop to catch into or' in ure the clothing of the'perform'er, and in which the sound produced by the vibratory member of theinstrument will be augmented anddirected.

These and further objects will more fully appear in the following specification and accompanying'drawings considered together or separately.

One embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which like parts in all of the several figures aredesignated b similar characters of reference, and -in w ich Fig. 1 is a bottom plan view of a banjo embodying th invention,

Fig.2 is' a section on the line 2-2 of Fig.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of a modification and Fig. 4 is a detail section of a further modification. v

In the drawings 1 designates the hoop member of a banjo to which is secured a neck 2 having the usual fingerboard 3 which projects over a parchment head 4. The head is stretched over one end of an inner annular wall or support 5 by means of hooks 6 engaging a ring 7. The wall 5 is arranged concentrically within the hoop 1.

The wall or support 5 is preferably constructed of wood, and is carried on a resonator or sounding board 8 which latter is of circular form and secured in position within the hoop and spaced below the plane of the head 4. The sounding board is set inward a considerable distance from the bottom of the hoop whereby the space surrounded by the hoop is divided into two cylindrical com- Serial No. 18,852.

partments, with the wall 5 within the larger. The outside diameter of the annular wall 5 is somewhat less than the inside diameter. of the hoop whereby an annular spalee' 9 is formed between the hoop and wa Carriedby the wall 5 in parallel relation to the sounding board is a disc 10 preferably of wood having a circular. opening 11 in the center thereof. An annular rim 12 also preferably of wood encircles the opening 10,- and the upper edge of therimis on a plane higher than the plane of the upper edge of the wall 5, as shown in Fig. 2 whereby when the head is stretched overthewall, that portion of the head within I the rim 12 will be under the maximum tension, and the bridge 13 preferablyrests upon this area.

Strings 14 anchored to the usual tail piece 15 pass across the head 4, positioned therefrom by' the bridge 13,, along the neck 2 to the usual tuning pegs (not shown).

The shanks of the hooksfi, instead of passing through brackets bolted to the exterior surface of the hoop "1, pass downward through the annularspace 9 and through the soundin board 8, and are set up to draw the head down over the edge of the wall 5 by means of-nuts 16v or other suitable devices, and said nuts lie entirely within the compartment below the resonator 8 wh ere there will be no danger oftheir being broken or otherwise injured, and where they will not come in contact with the person, or the clothin of the performer.

In ig. 3 is illustrated a modification wherein the tail piece 15 is secured to the inner surface of the hoop 1 whereby the exterior cylindrical surface of the hoop will be free of projecting portions except for the neck.

The sound Waves set up at the lower side of the head will be reflected by the resonator 8 throu h the lateral openings 17 in the wall 5 and t ence outward through the annular space 9, and the resonance of the rim 12, and its surrounding diaphragm 10 and resonator 8 will be added to that of the head 14.

The disc 10 may be provided with any number of circular grooves 18 whereby rims 12 of different diameter may be seated, and if desired the rim 12 may be omitted to pen m'it the disc 10 to vibrate freely.

It is to be understood that the plane of the area bounded by l the uppeiiedg' '65 the map may be placed on any desired plhiie relatiV'ely'tb the heafi. The head and hooks may project beyond the edge of the hoop, as shown in Fig.- 2; or the head may be in the plane of the end of the hoop, as in Fig. 3.

By omitting the tail piece and neck the instrnnint may be lsed as a din-in 'i r as fa tamborine. In this embodiment "of the iii vention, the sounding board may be used as in Fig. 6r it may he 'iduce'd to a were 'r'i'n'g ss'snown at 8* Fig, 4.

The hoo'l t portion the member may be above tlre edge er the hoo 1, she-vii n Fig. '2, on the same level as the end d me hoop as shown in Fig. 3, or below the level of the bird of the hoop,faS sh wn in Fi '4. This application is rimv ew a? my eapenuir application filed 'Septeniher 19. 222, liner-1c No. 1,567,359, issued Dee. 29, 1'25;-' f In accotdzihce'ji'litll the provisions of the patent statutes the, principle of the invenwen has been deemed, mgeu ei" w th the apparatus shiatig now 'eb'nsi de'red t6 resent the best'einbddlin'ehtthereof, but it desired t6 have it fid'erstdod trim; the 21p paramestrewn is merely inuscratwe, and that the invention may be carried oht in othe ways.

The in'rferftioh having been assented, What is cllll'h 'd 'ZIs ne -21nd desired to be secured by Letters i's's' follo'iil's'i 1. In a musical instrument. the combination with an bus-d; isms-pr, s semi-d bo'ard feitlldih'g transversely therein, and a i-ing fsti'fig on bne'sid ofsai'd board and spaced irmn the inner wan of the lib-op, of a in iiibrane Head extending skier ring, and securing: device's 'foi" .the fliea'd l'yifi" in the sweetie-means ring, and 1166p extendmg through the sounding beard, means for adjiist-lng' the'm leaned at the opposite of the 'sounding Board.

2. In a musical instrument, the combination with an outer hoop, a partition extending thereacross and inset from one of its edges, and it ring mounted on one of the faces of the partition, of a second partition extending inward-1y from the fling having a central opening, another ring surrounding said opening, a membrane headextending drier and engaging the dges of each of said riii'ggsec'uring devices for the head 'iiten'ding between the hoop and the mentioned iiim' 'fmd passing through the first mentioned pii i tition, and rifans at the opposite side of the latter for adjusting said sc'uri'r'ig def/ices. '3. Th a musical instrument, the con'ibinaion with an outer hoop, transverse part ition' intermediate the edges of the hoop fofi -ingfla main-sounding board, a ring sup- Hbftd fi1f0fl ii itllin fll hoop, and a perfor'atec'l artition within the ring spade- 1 ffom the first mentioned partition and Cdlh 'p'ris'ln a supplementary sounding board, of a meifihmm head, stretched across the Ting, and means for securing it.

In a musical rename-fit, the combination with m o iiter hoop, a transve se ar-- "titioxf intermediate the edges of the heap forming a main oilndin 'hoaid, arihg sul ported thereon within t 'e hoop, and aperfended partition fnrit hiii' the ring spaced from the first mentioned partition and cant prising a supplementary sounding board, of a second ring supported on the supplemensounding board 'ai'iangfd With its outer edge pwi cting beyzsn'd the plane of the first mentioned ri g, and a membiane head stretched acids the edges of the two rings,

Th-is specification sighed and 'vv'itnessed this 26th day of m nus-25.

WILLIAM DE 

